John Peter Devine (25 Dec 1932 - 27 Aug 2022)

In loving memory of John Peter Devine who sadly passed away on 27th August 2022.

John was born on Christmas Day 1932.

He was second of 3 children, older sister Margaret (who died in the 1980s) and younger brother James.

John was brought up in Nitshill by his Grandmother and Grandfather, and later by his mother Sadie and step father John McNally in Carntyne.

He finished his schooling at Holyrood at 15 and his grandfather helped him get his first job with British Rail as an errand boy.

It was in Carntyne that he met his life-long friend George Henderson. It was with him that he carved out his early entrepreneurial skills selling clothes and curtains, made by his mother, on a stall in the Barras. George, his wife Margaret, and their children Andrew and Susan, spent many happy holidays with John and his family until George's untimely death in 1995.

John met Janie in January 1957 at the Albert dance hall in Glasgow. They married in November of the following year, on the day after Janie's 21st birthday.

Between 1959 and 1966, John and Janie had 3 sons: Alan, Stuart and Brian.

The family moved to St Joseph's parish on the southside of Glasgow first in 1963, living initially on Hillside Avenue. They moved to Stamperland Hill in 1969 where they have lived ever since. All 3 boys were educated in the parish.

John's brother James, also lived in the southside of Glasgow with his wife Moira and sons Paul and Raymond, prior to their move to the east coast. Then, most Saturday nights involved the families meeting in Carntyne for a roast dinner cooked by Sadie.

Following his early work at British Rail, John worked as a Sales Representative for Ranco and Dunlop Semtex.

In 1968 he entered into business with a colleague to set up Harndec Flooring company. John went on to set up his own business, Devar Flooring, in 1978 from a cottage in Busby main street, with the help of eldest son Alan.

Over the next 20 years, John built the company in to a major force in the Scottish flooring industry, moving to larger purpose-built premises in Thornliebank during the 1980s. By the mid 1990s, all 3 of John's sons were involved in the business.

During the 1970s, John bought a chalet in Millport to spend time with good friends of the family: Gerry & Maureen Quigley and Gordon & Janette Henderson. This became the frequented bolt-hole, no matter the weather, for Easters, the September weekend and during the long school summer holidays.

As a businessman in Eastwood, John made his contribution to local business activity and fundraised for the community through Clarkston Business Club (of which he was president) and Rotary Club. Through business, and golf, he made wonderful friendships that lasted until the end. He was a founder member of the GAGOYK (Get A Grip Of Your Knickers) golfing society that terrorised hostelries in the UK and Ireland with their own unique brand of carousing.

The Scots Kangas (with George & Charlotte Horspool, Gordon & Gay Henderson and David & Judy Deeble from Australia) had many memorable outings, most notably the tour of Australia in 1992 where Judy had somehow convinced her local officials that the Scots visitors were visiting dignitaries and they gave John a Civic Reception for his 60th birthday.

John retired in 2000 and he and Janie spent many happy years travelling with their long time friends Charles and Myra Baikie who they had known from their early years in Clarkston. John and Charles, with their faithful canine friend Kellie, would regularly head to his holiday cottage in Aviemore, where they became fixtures in the community of Avielochan.

In 1984 John and Janie become grandparents for the first time with the birth of Louise to Alan and Rosalind and then a second granddaughter Gillian 2 years later. They had to wait until 1996 for the arrival of their third granddaughter Ellen to parents Stuart and Geraldine. In 1999 his first grandson Philip arrived to parents Brian and Helena followed a few years later with a second grandson Joshua.

A few years ago John and Janie then became great grandparents with the arrival of daughter Hannah and son Alexander to granddaughter Louise and husband Benjamin.